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The other day my wife asked me a question that made the nearness of Overflow a reality. She said, “What are you going to wear at Overflow?” I honestly had not given it a moment’s thought. You may find that your personality is similar to mine. I often find myself frantically packing within the last few minutes before having to run out the door to go to things like Overflow and retreats. Or perhaps you are more like my wife and have already packed… “I’m going to wear this on Friday, and these on Saturday…” etc, etc.

I couldn’t help but think about all the effort that goes into preparing for a weekend like this.

Growing up I had a really hard time deciding what I wanted to be when I was older. It seemed like every week I would tell my mom something new. One week it was a chef because I had cooked one half decent meal and thought it was fun. Another week I wanted to be a lawyer because I watched Legally Blonde, and if she could do it, so could I!

Once it was a doctor.A musical theatre performer.A stay at home mom.

I was all over the place because I couldn’t figure out what I was really passionate about, in order to narrow it down to just one thing.

I feel like I’ve heard or seen it too many times to count. It is the perfect phrase for a wall decal. It’s all over social media. It will likely immediately conjure up images of the stereotypical Instagram post with a Bible (opened to the most highlighted page revealing your love and passion for the Word, a coffee cup, and a perfectly but ever so slightly tilted notepad). Of course, the post would not be complete without the relevant hashtags: #MorningsWithGod #DailyDevos #ChildOfGod. You’ve seen that post. You’ve probably done one. I probably have as well (I for sure have).

I’m not a gardener; in fact, my house may be gaining a reputation in the plant world as the “place of death.” But even I can tell you the basics: for a plant to grow it needs water and sunlight. Without those things, it’s definitely not going to grow, and will most likely result in a slow…withering…death. BUT with the water and sunlight it was designed to need, a plant will grow and produce. Many plants will even produce life-giving oxygen that other species use to live.

A number of years ago, my wife discovered a fantastic deal on one of those discount websites. Four private dance lessons for couples at a local dance studio. Her heart was filled with excitement and mine sank. I do not like dancing, but somehow I was talked into going. Our first lesson was okay; not amazing or exciting, but okay. Since I have absolutely no rhythm or ability to move my arms and legs with any sense of purpose, I was proud that I had made it through the first lesson unharmed.

Today is a day we look forward to every year: launching the Overflow theme and event details! We are so excited to again be in Waterloo on the May long weekend this coming year. It is literally only 22 WEEKS away!

This year we welcome Pastor Wayne Giroux to the team, who has begun his tenure as the Youth Director of the Western Ontario District of the PAOC, and who will be your new Overflow Pastor. Check out the promo video teaser, and keep an eye on the website and social media as we will soon be announcing our guest line up.

The Summer Olympics in 1936 were held in a hostile and prejudice Berlin, Germany. Just three years after these games, the Nazi regime would move to attack Poland to start World War II. Leading up to these games, Adolph Hitler had made it clear that they did not want Jewish American or African America athletes to attend, which forced a young man by the name of Jesse Owens into an unfair and undeserved decision.

In our home, super heroes are a pretty big deal. There isn’t a day that goes by when one of my kids isn’t trying to run as fast as the Flash, dressing up like Batman to take the night sky, or fighting off any foe that they could possibly imagine. For them, it’s more than just dress up, it’s the idea of being SUPER: the thought of having the ability to do more than they could possibly do before. I’d like to say they are the only ones, but I can’t help but wonder myself, “what would it be like to have a super-power?” With the amount of superhero movies that exist today, it’s hard not to let it cross your mind; the strength to lift a car, the speed to run as fast as lightening, or the ability to manipulate time. The idea of having superhero-like power is intriguing.